Rail-joint.



L. V. LUKER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 191

Patefited July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR LMVLMHW I f z a.

ATTORNEY jiofy y.

' L. v. LUKER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1911.

1 1: 4 U5W Patented July 17,

v I 2 SHEETS-SHEE WITNESS LUTHER V. LUKER, OF CRYSTAL FALLS, TEXAS.

RAIL-J OIN T.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 117, 1917.

Application filed April 14, 1917. Serial No. 162,131.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. LUTHER V. LUKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crystal Falls, in the county of Stephens and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for connecting the meeting ends of two railway rails. I

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to form a joint of such character as to make a practically continuous rail and thus avoid the shock and jar incident to the passage of the rolling stock thereover It is a further object of the invention to produce a joint for railway rails in which the ends of the rails are disposed to lap one with the other and to interlock in'such a lapping engagement, and wherein the employment of the usual transverse connecting elements in the nature of nuts and bolts will be dispensed with.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a joint for railway rails which shall be of a simple construction, comparatively cheap to manufacture, and which will render the rails at the joint of a strength at least equaling that at the body of the rail, and further wherein the lateral or sinking movement of the rails at the joint will be prevented, while a limited longitudinal movement incident to the expansion and contraction of the rails is permitted.

With the above and other objects in view the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of two rails constructed and connected in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4: is a similar sectional view approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the rail ends, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the same.

The body portion of each of the rails is of the ordinary construction, including the usual head 1, base 2 and connecting web 3.

Each of the rails has both ends of a similar construction, the web portion being thickened so that the same is arranged approximately flush with the sides of the head of the rail. One side of each of the rails at the referred to thickened portion of the web thereof, and indicated for distinction by the numeral 4, terminates in a tongue 5, the said tongue projecting a suitable distance beyond the end of the base of the rail, and the said tongue being gradually inclined outwardly from the top to the bottom thereof providing the said bottom with a flange 6, and this flange, at a suitable distance from the end of the tongue is cut transversely and longitudinally providing a notched portion 7. The tongue, it will be noted, by reference to the drawings, has its lower or underface horizontally straight, the said face being disposed a suitable dis tance above the juncture of the web 3 with the base flange 2 of the body of the rail, and consequently the base portion of the rail from a point opposite the commencement of the widened portions of the web is of a greater thickness than the base proper of the said rail, and the shoulder 8 formed at the end of the said thickened rail base is cut straight; that is, right angularly with respect to the central longitudinal plane of the rail. The tongue, upon the side thereof opposite that provided with the flange 6 is cut vertically from its end to a point adj acent to the commencement of the widened portion of the web upon this side of the rail, as indicated by the numeral 9, the said out extending over the thickened portion of the base and the said base, at the portion thereof opposite the angular wall provided by the tongue and the cut in the rail is horizontally straight providing a plane surface 10. It will be noted by reference to the drawings that the angular cut portion 9 terminates in substantially a feather edge at the upper or head portion of the tongue, and consequently no abrupt shoulder is presented at the inner terminal of the cut or the terminal of the inclined wall 9. The plane surface 10, however, is provided with an inner enlarged portion formed by a longitudinal wall 11 and a transverse wall 12, thus providing a pocket 13 between the said walls 11 and 12 and the inner surface of the tongue 9. The pocket is of a length suiticient to receive the notched portion 7 at the end of the tongue 5 of the respective rail when the rails are associated, and the grad ually widened portion of the tongue at the base thereof, providing the flange 6, forms a height less than three-quarters of the height of the rail proper and is afiorded a firm support or bearing upon the upper surface 10 of the rail end and in the pocket 13, produces a construction wherein the rails, at the joint thereof, are rendered of a strength equaling, if not exceeding that in the middle or in the body of said rails. The base of each ofthe rails adjacent the ends thereof and at a suitable distance away from the said ends is preferably provided with an outwardly extending portion which is perforated, as at M, to receive the spikes 15 that enter the supporting ties l6.

WVith rails constructed and connected as above described, it will be noted that the employment of transverse securing elements, such as the usual bolts and nuts therefor, and consequently the weakening of the rails by the openings receiving the said bolts will be dispensed with, and the simplicity and advantages of the construction will, it is thought, be apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

' 1. In a rail joint, tworails each having its web and its base thickened at the'end thereof, whereby to arrange the sides'of the Web approximately flush with the sides of the head and to elevate the base at the said end of the rail, the head and web of each rail extending beyond the base thereof providing. a tongue, saidtongue, upon one side thereof having its lower portion flanged outwardly, the said tongues upon the opposite side thereofbeing cut angularly from its ends to adjacent the commencement of thethickened web portion thereof, the projecting portion of the tongue being in a line with the elevated base, said base having transverse and longitudinal vertically projecting members providing a pocket therebetween whereby to receive the flanged lower portion of the respective tongues, when the tongues of the rails are brought to rest upon the base portions thereof, and means for securing the rails to ties.

2. In a rail joint, two rails each having its web and its base thickened at the ends thereof, whereby to arrange the webs approximately flush with the sides of the head of each rail and to provide the base at the end thereof with a horizontally straight ele vated plane, the head and web projecting beyond the end of the base of each rail and the projecting portion upon one side of each. of the rails gradually widening to the lower portion thereof and the said lower portion terminating in a line with the elevated base, and the said widened portion being notched from the end of the said projecting portion. the opposite sideof the projecting portion being out angularly from its end over the thickened base and terminating adjacent to the widened portion of the web, the elevated. base at the terminal of the said inclined cut having a transverse enlargement, and. the said base being further provided with a longitudinal enlargement forming a pocketwith the same and the said transverse enlargement whereby to receive the notched portions at the ends of the respective tongues, the base'of each of the rails adjacent the ends thereof having outwardly ex tending portions and the said portions being perforated to receive the securing spikes whereby the rails are connected with the supporting ties.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LUTHER V. LUKER.

Copies o f'tliis patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Q Washington, D. G. 

